A Win For Women

Why a revolutionary blood test that helps doctors treat heart disease may be even better news for women than it is for men.

By Pat Wingert and Barbara Kantrowitz | NEWSWEEK
Published Nov 11, 2008

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  • Posted By: Dr. H @ 11/16/2008 2:14:51 PM

    Then I guess after your discussions, your health care provider didn't recommend statin meds as you previously stated; or still did and you chose not to follow their advice. Your arguments must have been persuasive or your providers information poor; or both.

  • Posted By: Dr. H @ 11/12/2008 1:47:35 PM

    You don't give your health care provider much credit for having researched the subject. Why do so many people think they are smarter (on individual subjects concerning health) than their doctor? This is not to say that everyone shouldn't educate themselves, they should, but you have to begin with an open mind and judge using the scientific method and not emotion.

    • Posted By: C. MacLean @ 11/13/2008 3:54:47 PM

      I don't question the scientific method - I just haven't seem much of it where statins are concerned. And unlike some, I don't automatically assume that just because someone has 'MD' after their name the automatically know what is best for me - they don't.

      And in this particular case, my health care provider hadn't done the research, but to her credit, was open-minded enough to read the research on omega-3's vs. statins, and smart enough to discuss it with me.

      We both left emotion out of the equation.

  • Posted By: C. MacLean @ 11/11/2008 5:01:20 PM

    "This is the first time we have documented evidence that women get the same benefits from statins as men for primary prevention," Merz says."

    The problem is - we haven't proven that statins prevent heart attacks in men, let alone women. All we've proven is that lowering cholesterol reduces the RISK of heart attack and heart disease, but there is NO statin that can claim it PREVENTS cardiac disease - all they do is lower the cholesterol numbers.

    So does proper diet and exercise, along with weight loss. So does Omega-3 fish oil.

    So one needs to ask the question - why should I take statins, when there are other, non-statin ways to lower cholesterol, especially when we haven't proven that lowering cholersterol PREVENTS heart disease?

    These are powerful drugs, with some very nasty side effects that have been conveniently glossed over by Big Pharma. And this study was funded by a pharmaceutical company - pretty convenient results, I'd say.

    As a registered nurse, I have steadfastly refused to take statins, even though my health care provider has recommended them. Instead, I have managed to reduce my numbers significantly with omega-3's, exercise and weight loss, and have no other risk factors for heart disease (don't smoke or drink, don't have diabetes, and have low blood pressure).

    This may not be the decision for everyone, but for me, I see no reason to take a medication that ultimately only increases the pharmaceutical companies' bottom lines.

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